Everything You Need To Know About Louis Vuitton Keepall

You have seen the Louis Vuitton keepall in airports, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. If you don’t have one, you might think, why do I need this? It’s so expensive, overpriced, it’s just not for me.

Think again.

I’m going to give you an overview of the bag, why you need one and more importantly, how to score one IN YOUR BUDGET.

As I’m packing for a weekend getaway (how I pack here), I decided to stop and explain to you why my Keepall is the perfect bag for getaways in general!

If this interests you, keep on reading!

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If you want to see more of my “Everything You Need to Know about Louis Vuitton bags”, check out these links below!

The History

Louis Vuitton is a company that has a history of making luggage. One of the most classic bags that you will see is the Keepall. Its a fantastic, unisex travel bag that is great as a carry on, or for road trips.

It was invented in 1924, which makes it one of the longest running iconic bags in history. There is a reason for it’s popularity. It is a luxurious and durable option.

The Speedy was created in 1930 to be a mini option of the Keepall, so obviously the iconic design has done something right!

The Sizes

The Keepall comes in 4 sizes: 45, 50, 55 and 60. This number means how many centimetres wide it is. If you notice, it picks up right where the Speedy left off (the biggest Speedy size is 40.

The Keepall 55 is the BIGGEST carry-on that you can take on an airplane, so definitely keep that in mind when shopping.

I opted for a 50, because at 5’2″, I didn’t want anything too heavy. If you are like me, you will pack as much as possible in a bag and hate your life lugging it through the airport.

I would recommend going with a Keepall 55 or 60 if you are using it primarily for road trips. As you can have it as big as you want in your own car and not have to worry about walking too far with it.

When looking into a size, I recommend going into your local LV to try on a few. At least once you know the size you want, you can start your hunt for pre-loved bags at a fraction of the price!

Keepall Size Comparison

To Bandouliere or Not to Bandouliere

What the heck does Bandouliere mean? Well simply does it come with a strap or not?

If you are thinking at all about carrying this bag with a strap, you need to have one with the bandouliere option. The reason for this, is that the piece that the straps attach to is re-enforced. If you don’t have the straps but your bag has this option, you can buy a strap preloved, order from Louis Vuitton store or buy a non-LV strap from Amazon.

I would definitely recommend ordering a bandouliere Keepall. You can easily detach the strap if it doesn’t suit your style. If you are carrying a lot of stuff in your bag, it will definitely save you to have the option of using the strap.

The nice thing about the original LV strap it comes with, is that it has a shoulder pad on the strap. This helps with the strap not digging into your arm and cutting off circulation.

Sometimes when my bag is really heavy and I am walking through the airport. I like to alternate between carrying the bag with the strap and with the handles.

With Bandouliere OptionWithout Bandouliere Option

The Colours

The classic design is the Monogram with vachetta (undyed leather). This is more easily obtainable on the pre-loved market. It’s a beautiful choice for a bag.

Classic Keepall

The Monogram Macassar Keepall is not easily obtainable in the preloved market, however, if you are purchasing new, it is a fantastic option. It comes with coated leather handles and straps, which makes it the perfect, long-lasting, all weather finish.

Macassar Keepall

The Damier Ebene Keepall is also a great option if purchasing new. It also has the coated leather handles and strap, which makes it a great option for a long lasting finish.

Damier Ebene Keepall

The Damier Azur Keepall, in my opinion, is the worst option that you can go with. Unless you plan on babying this bag for road trips only, the light canvas is prone to colour transfer and the vachetta can get marks. This poor bag, will look it’s age over time.

Damier Azur Keepall

There are many other limited edition options, unless you are crazy about that specific pattern and collecting all of the pieces, I would recommend going with a much more classic bag that will last you a long time.

Limited Edition Keepall

Why Not Another Bag?

I used to think, it is insane to spend this much on a weekend or carry on bag. However, after going through A LOT of bags on my business travels. I discovered that even some high street brands just don’t last as long. The rip and tear, you end up going through them often.

When I started researching buying a Keepall, I discovered many of them from the 1980’s on the pre-loved market. This really got me thinking, the reason why there are so many? Because these are EXTREMELY well made. These last forever and are super durable.

The canvas is very thick and it can go through a lot. The only part that really shows it’s age, is the vachetta. The undyed leather straps, handles, etc on the bag can get watermarks, oil residue that can cause them to discolour unevenly or very dark. This does affect the value of the bag, but not the function at all!

The Features

Inside: There are no pockets or compartments, which makes it super versatile for whatever you need

Luggage Tag: Perfect to put your ID into and get it hotstamped with your initials

Padlock: Gives you the comfort and security if you are worried about pickpocketers or leaving your bag unattended

Handle Buckle: Helps to keep the handles upright to make it easy to grab and go quickly

Strap: This is an option with the bandouliere model and is fantastic for carrying when you overpacked!

The Features of the Louis Vuitton Keepall

How to Score One in Your Budget

One of the best kept secrets is that you can afford a Keepall. Obviously condition of the bag and age will dictate what fits in your budget.

Since this bag has been manufactured and loved for so many years, there are a lot of them on the preloved market. One of my favourite places to find ones at good prices are on the LV Addicted – Buy, Sell and Chat on Facebook. This group has more than 150,000 members and everything is authentic. You will regularly see sellers on there with great deals on Keepalls.

If you want to get an affordable one, I would recommend forgoing one that includes the lock and luggage tab. A bonus if it comes with a strap, but you can get that separate as well one the same site.

Take a look out for one with a nice patina to the vachetta, if you are flexible about water marks, you can be more flexible with your budget! You can easily score a bag for less than $500 with a few compromises and a little hunting. It will still be a great bag, great looking, with lots of life left!

Buy It NOW on the Pre-loved Market

Do you love the Keepall? What size do you have or want?

If you want to see more of my “Everything You Need to Know about Louis Vuitton bags”, check out these links below!